


Free Puppies

by supercasey



Series: Fallout 4 One-Shots [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Abusive Parents, Age Difference, Child Abuse, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Homosexuality, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, No Smut, Pre-Canon, Trans Male Character, Trans!Hancock, and yes hancock is trans fucking fight me, the child abuse is mentioned like once so nothing major, trans hancock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 07:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16237163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercasey/pseuds/supercasey
Summary: While in Goodneighbor after leading several Ghouls to the settlement, a young John McDonough comes across a cardboard box filled with puppies. Well, screw Guy's 'no pets' policy at home- John knows just the guy who'll take in a helpless stray. In other news, Nick really needs to consider setting some ground rules when it comes to this kid...





	Free Puppies

**Author's Note:**

> How does Nick Valentine know Dogmeat? We're about to find out! ((A Fallout 4 fic??? In 2018??? It's more likely than you think. Also, I originally wrote this in past-tense, but I hated it and changed it, so I hope it isn't too noticeable)).

"Nicky? You home?" John asks, poking his head in through the front door, not wanting Valentine to see his present. At least, not until John can give a good, reasonable explanation for it.

Thankfully for John, Nick Valentine isn't in his office, or in his apartment for that matter. With a sigh of relief, the blond pushes the door open with his foot, carrying in one arm his trusty shotgun, and in the other a puny, brown and black-furred puppy with pudding colored eyes. The puppy wiggles and squirms excessively in the young rebel's arm, but John’s prepared for it, and he manages to keep his hold on the pup until he can safely deposit it on the sofa in Nick's office, giving the dog's head a quick pat before ascending the office's staircase, checking to make sure Nick isn't powered down on his bed. Unable to find the detective, John hurries back downstairs, only to find the puppy chewing on one of Nick's spare fedoras, the pup's tiny, sharp teeth tearing into the hat. Quickly, John snatches it from the dog, before a knock at the door causes him to flinch in surprise. In a panic, John steps in front of the pup, hiding it and the torn hat behind his back from view of the front door.

"Uh... Valentine ain't here right now," John says, internally hating how high pitched his voice sounds when stressed. As he awaits an answer, he can only home it's not Nick himself who's home; he still needs a good explanation for why he’s brought a puppy home with him. "I can take a message." He adds, after the silence gets to be too much for him.

"It's just me," Ellie's voice calls through the door, and it causes John to instantly relax. It’s just Valentine's assistant. "I'm coming in."

Ellie pushes the door open with her backside, not even glancing at John as she carries a cardboard box full of papers into the office, lugging the package to Nick's desk to dump it's contents onto. It’s only when Ellie has seated herself in Nick's chair to get to work that she finally notices John's presence. "Oh," She says, sounding a bit surprised. "It's you. John McDonough, right? Nick's latest _'flame'_ as he would put it?"

John blushes, ducking his head out of embarrassment. He’s still trying to get used to being the local detective's boyfriend- it feels weird when people bring it up or say it out loud, but that's mostly because people keep asking really personal questions and it's starting to really piss him off. Shaking it off, John tries to focus on the present. "Um, yeah... that's me," He admits, looking pointedly away from the young secretary. "Ay, you seen Valentine around?"

"No. Why do you ask?" Ellie inquires, before making a visible effort to see what's behind John, though he keeps moving to block her view. "And what have you got behind your back, Mr. McDonough? Something you don't want me to see?"

"Who? Me?" John tries to up his charm, putting on an innocent act to try and distract his friend. "I'm hurt, Ellie. Wounded that you would think so low of me."

"Yeah right. You may be able to smooth talk Nick, but you've got nothing on me, John," Ellie teases, stepping around the young man, only to stop and stare at the couch in confusion. "Um... did you honestly crap yourself on the couch?"

"Wait, what?" John swings around, gasping in horror as he discovers that 1, the puppy's nowhere to be found, and 2, the little bastard left him and Ellie a little 'present' before taking off. "Aw, shit!"

Ellie rolls her eyes. "Well, yes, that's what it is, but I usually wouldn't say it so-"

John waves Ellie off, shaking his head in frustration. "No, forget about the shit- where the fuck did he go!? I was only talkin' to you for, like, two seconds!"

Ellie raises an eyebrow, but nonetheless begins to assist John in searching the office, although she has no idea what exactly they’re looking for. "What did you lose? Is that what you came to Nick's office for?"

"No. I mean yes. I mean... sorta," John’s voice goes up an octave, causing him to blush in frustration. "Look, I'll be straight with ya, Ellie... on my way back from Goodneighbor, I found a box with puppies in it, and I brought one home as a present for Nicky. But now the damn pup is missing, and I can't find him!"

"Oh God..." Ellie sighs, shaking her head. "Well, we can't have it rampaging through the office, now can we? You clean up the dog's mess while I look for it, alright?" Once John nods in confirmation, she searches for the missing puppy.

It doesn't take long. Nick Valentine has a small office to begin with, and the puppy’s far too small to climb upstairs to the second floor, so it only takes Ellie about ten or eleven minutes to track down the dog. She finds the puppy behind a few boxes, gnawing on an empty (Thank God) box of cigarettes, already having torn apart more than half of it. Ever so silently, Ellie scoops the dog up from behind, giggling under her breath as the pup squirms and barks in surprise, before turning around in her hold and licking at her face, barking happily as it wags its tail. From across the room, John groans with relief, glad that the dog's been found. Once he’s done cleaning up the dog's shit, he takes the pup from Ellie, ruffling the fur on its head as Ellie scratches it's back. The young secretary smiles, a bit thankful to John for bringing the puppy into the office. As much trouble as it’s already caused, it’s nice to have such unconditional puppy-love for a change.

"You know... he's a pretty good dog," Ellie admits, causing the puppy to bark with excitement. "I think that Nick will like him."

"You think?" John smiles as he sets the dog down on the floor to run around and get some space. "Ya know, I've been thinking... I'm gonna name 'em Dogmeat."

"Dogmeat? What kind of name is Dogmeat?" Ellie asks, giving John a confused look.

"He's so incredible that he named himself after his uncooked brother's remains. He'll be a legend," John explains, looking all too proud of himself. "It's a great fuckin’ name and I'm sticking to it."

Just then, the doorknob begins to turn, and Dogmeat charges the door, easily outrunning John’s frantic attempt at grabbing him. Nick stops in the doorway, looking between John, Dogmeat, and Ellie, his face having the perfect expression of confusion. "Anyone care to explain?" He asks, referring to the puppy that's currently trying to shred the bottom of his trenchcoat.

“Uh…” John and Ellie exchange a hesitant look, before John takes charge- he's not willing to risk Ellie getting in trouble over this, even if John knows Nick would never fire Ellie. “Surprise? You kept mentioning how quiet it's been lately, and how dog's in the Commonwealth are really great trackers, and I remembered how much you liked dogs and-” Once he's going he's going; he can't shut himself up, too many drugs having gone through him in his life to allow him the luxury of a held tongue.

Nick laughs wholeheartedly at the display, hushing John with a good natured pat on the head. “I'm not mad,” He assures his boyfriend, all too aware of how John's first instinct has always been that people will react explosively to even the smallest of infractions- it's one of many unwanted side-effects of having Guy McDonough as a brother and Martha McDonough as a mother. “I was just curious, that's all! He's a beautiful dog…” Then, thinking better of it, Nick gives his companions a bashful look. “Erm… or she.”

Ellie rolls her eyes, laughing under her breath at Nick's embarrassment. “He's a boy, Nick. I checked,” She suddenly freezes, giving John an apologetic look. “N-Not that genitalia automatically dictates one's gender!”

John fights back the desire to force out a laugh- he isn't willing to fake it right now. “It's fine, El… at least you're tryin’. Better than my shitbag brother ever will.” He doesn't mean to sound so bitter, but repressed anger tends to surround most conversations concerning his older brother.

Nick, thankfully, makes an effort to redirect the conversation back to Dogmeat. “So I guess we've got a dog now, huh?” He announces, scooping up the pup with ease. Immediately, Dogmeat begins to chew on Nick's left hand. “Ey!” He yelps, giving the dog a half-hearted glare. “No biting! I've only got so much skin left, and I can't pull off two spider hands!”

John actually manages to laugh this time, not even trying to cover his mouth. “You could, though… you could wear anything and make it look good.” He throws in a wink for good measure, all too happy to play this game.

Nick would raise an eyebrow if he still had one. “Oh? Is that a challenge, doll?” He doesn't hesitate with the pet name- he and John havr already agreed on pet names in the past, and although 'doll’ is traditionally considered very feminine, both men love the word too much to let toxic masculinity ruin it for them.

“Oh my God,” Ellie groans, faking a gag at the sight of her boss and her boss’s boyfriend unabashedly flirting. “Get a room, you two. Preferably one that I'm not in. Or one with the dog for that matter,” Thinking better of it, she takes the puppy from Nick's hands, carrying it like one would carry a toddler. “I'm gonna take him by the general store and see if they have any collars… please don't do it on my desk while I'm gone. I'll be back in the morning- Dogmeat can sleep at my place tonight.” With that said, Ellie exits the agency with Dogmeat, the door shutting quietly behind her.

The night now their's, Nick and John exchange a glance.

“I know she joked about it, but… is it okay if we don't right now?” John requests, refusing to meet Nick's eyes. It’s incredibly unlike him to turn down an opportunity for sex, but in all honesty, all he wants to do right now is lie down with his boyfriend and get some much needed sleep.

“Don't even sweat it, doll… I'm not in the mood either,” Nick confesses, feeling less shame than John- he’s used to having to turn John down for sex, him easily being the least sexually driven out of the two of them. “How about we get some shut-eye then? And in the morning you can potty-train your new puppy.”

John groans in dread, shoving his face into Nick's trenchcoat. “ _Ugh_ . That's the worst part about keepin’ a dog- they shit _everywhere_!”

Nick resists the urge to remind John that it was his idea in the first place to bring home a dog. “Yes yes, I know, I'm so unfair… you can nag at me proper in the morning, darling.”

John huffs, but otherwise doesn't argue. Instead, he allows Nick to carry him upstairs and into bed, the two falling asleep in each other's arms. In the morning, they'll both get to work on training their new dog, but for now, they can rest easy knowing that neither one of them will have to do it alone.

_FIN_

**Author's Note:**

> Did you know that I've had this unfinished in my Google Docs for over two years??? I suck at writing and this is proof of that. Whatever, I hope y’all still enjoy this fic. And yes, Hancock is trans in my fic (because I'm trans and self-projecting) and I'm not apologizing for it. I hope to do more Fallout 4 fics in the future (specifically surrounding Hancock) but we'll see where that goes. Have a good day, and thanks for reading!


End file.
